Postage printing die protection means



Sept. 18, 1951 w HANSON ETAL 2,568,624

POSTAGE PRINTING DIE PROTECTION MEANS Filed Oct. 12, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY .ss e

Patented Sept. 18,1951

s PATENT OFFICE I rosTAdE PRINTING DIE PROTECTION Q MEANS Walter J. Hanson, Port Chester, N. Y., and Alva- G. Russell, Stamford, Conn., assignors to Pitney-Bowes; Inc., Stamford, Conn., a corpora- V tion of ,Delaware.

Application pctober 12, 1949, Serial No. 120,888

This invention relates to printingdie protection means, and is associatedwith a rotary postage printing device, 'to prevent the taking of more than one legitimate postage impression at the printing position. I II Ina rotary postage printing'device, postage impressions are adapted to be printed on letters passed between a printing element and a platen roller, and inasmuch as each impression is of predetermined? value, the said value-is registered within suitable registering mechanism. Itis important therefore,-toprevent taking more than the one legitimate impression from the printing die surface at the printing position during a printing cycle of operation;

Various means of protectionhave heretofore been provided buthave generallybeen complicated and expensive to "produce. In the device of the present invention, two guard members'are provided, to partially obstruct anlopening at the printing position of a:. cover which normallycon ceals the printing device. One guard is positioned at the printing die approaching end of the opening, and the other guard is positioned at the opposite end of the opening, and are arrangedso that only a portion of the entire postage indicia and value printing die will be exposed in the printing position at any one time. Further, said guard members are normally retained in' a retracted position, and are adapted to belmoved outwardly during a printingcyclez: of operation to clear the printing die, afterthe leading end of the letter has moved to. a. printing position. Said latter. feature is a contributing factor. of the invention in that it permits the inner. endsof the guards to be normally positioned inside .of the path ,of the printing die which allowsheavier pieces of mail to reach a printing p'ositionwi'thout obstruction. 1 t I I It is the principal object of the invention therefore, to combine postage printing die guard means with a cover for said printing die,.which will permit the free entry of letters to the printing position, and which will obstruct the printing die at the printing position in such manner as to allow only one legitimate impression to be made during a printing cycle of operation." I It is another object of the tinvention to provide means to effect the rocking of the printing die protecting guard members during a printing cycle of operation, and to normally maintain the inner free ends thereof retracted when the printing die is ina home position." I In the drawings, a preferred form of the invention is shown whereinz II .SClaims. (01.101411) Fig. l is a front elevational View of the printing cylinder, showing the printing die protection guards in their home position, and further showing the casing covering the printing cylinder in section; Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. l, with the printing die portion of the printing cylinder engaging the advancing letter, and with both die guards rocked outwardly.

Fig. 3 is a view showing the printing cylinder in side elevation, and includes one of the die guards, and casing, the latter being in section; and

Fig. 4 is a detailed perspective view showing the die guards, and an operating cam therefor.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a printing cylinder I0 is mounted on a shaft l I, which shaft may be cyclically driven in any suitable manner. Associated with said printing cylinder is a postage indicia printing die 12, which die has value printing means l3, and town and date printing means l4 combined therewith. A cam element I5 is also secured to the printing cylinder, as indicated at l5a.

Beneath the printing cylinder III is a platen roller l6 which cooperates with the printing die 12 in printing a postage impression upon letters passed therebetween.

A casing or cover ll envelopes two sides, front, back, and the top of the printing cylinder, thus leaving the lower portion open, to permit the printing die l2 to pass therethrough when effecting printing. Said casing extends rearwardly, 'as l8, to form a covering for the entire postage meter, including accumulator and actuator mechanism. The entireprinting and metering unit is detachable from drive elements associated with a machine base, all of which features are com- 'monly known in postage printing and metering machines.

. Cooperating with the printing cylinder are two die guard elements l9 and 2|]. The guard 19 is preferably of U-shaped cross section and has side walls [Ba-I91) and sidewardly deflected portions terminating in ears |9cl 9d. Said ears lac-4 dd are pivotally mounted on studs 2I2l, which studs are supported in a bracket 22, fixed to the inside wall of the casing. The guard Zil also has side walls 20a--20b terminating in ears fizz-40d. Said ears 20c and 28d, and another ear-like element 28 are joined by a sleeve 23a, which sleeve is pivotally mounted on a stud 23. The stud 23 has one screw threaded end 24 secured within a portion of the supporting base structure 24b of the associated with the guard l9.

time.

'postage printing device, and is locked therein The cam l5 is'arra'nged so that the cam edge l5b thereof will engage the upper edge of a wall 21, forming a continuation of the ear [9d and Another portion of the cam edge l5 will engage the upper edge of a wall continuing from the ear-like element 28 associated with the guard 20.. A further cam. is carried by the printing .cylinder, as indicated at 29, Figs. 1 and 2, which cam is adapted to extend'across the upper edges of the walls [Ha-19b and 20a-2Elb and will efiectthe initial rocking movement of the guards It? and 2'0 when the 4 from the path of the printing die as the printing die approaches the printing position.

2. The combination with a rotary postage printing cylinder having a postage printing die thereon and including a cover having an opening at the printing; position but otherwise arranged to conceal the printing die when not in a printing position; of means to prevent the taking of more than one legitimate impression at the printing position during each rotation of the printing cylinder andcomprising a guard having one portion thereof extending beyond one end of the opening in said cover at the printing position and in the path of the. printing die, a second guard having one portion thereof extending beyond the opposite endof the opening in said cover and in the path ofthe. printing die, each of said guards havprinting cylinder is rotated. Cam l5, which also."

rotates with the printing cylinder, will continue the; outward rocking movement of the guards.

In. operation, a letter will be advanced along a letter feed plate 3| to the position indicated in Fig.1, whereupon the printing cylinder Ill will i be rotated. With the die guards in the home position, as indicated in Fig. 1, there is ample space for a, letter of. considerable thickness to pass through to a. printing position without obstruction objection.

When the. printing cycle commences, the cam 29 will rock both die guards I9 and 20 outward, and when said cam 29 passes beyond the guard (9, the cam IE will control the position of said guard 19, as in Fig. 2. At this point, the. printing die I2' will have about completed the printingof the postage indicia.

It will be noted, when referring to the latter position, that the space between the inner ends of the guards IS-Zil is about, two-thirds "the length of the printing die. 7 Therefore, only two thirds of the printing die is accessible at any one It will also be noted that both guards l9-2 B will have been rocked to substantially their limit at the printing position. inasmuch as the back edges 32-32 of the guard t9 and 33-33' of the guard 20 will have engaged fixed wallsi34 and 35 respectively. j V p It" would therefore be impossible to'place'an envelope or even a piece of paper in any position relative to the postage printing die l2, in an attempt to cover the entire die s'urfa'ceat the position of printing, so as to fraudulently receive an impression.

Having described the invention, what is claimed 1s:

1. The combination with a rotary postage printing cylinder having a postage printing .die thereon and including a cover having an opening at the printing position but otherwise arranged to conceal the printing die when not in a printing position; of means to prevent the taking of more than one legitimate impression at the'printing position during each rotation of the printing cyl inder and comprising a guard having one portion thereof extending beyond one end of the opening in said cover at the printing position and in the path of the printing die, a second guard having ing their extended portions normally urged toward the peripheral surface of the printing cylinder, and cam elements engageable with portions of said. guards and movable with. the printing cylinder to-efiect withdrawal ofv theextended portions of, the guards from the path .of the printing die-as the: printing die approachesv the printing position. a r

3;. Thecombination. with a rotary' postage printing cylinder having a. postage printing die thereon. and including a cover having an. open-,- ing at the printing position but otherwise arranged to conceal the: printing die whenv not in a printing position; of meansto prevent. the'talcing of more/than one legitimate impression at the. printing positionv during; each. rotation of the printing cylinder and comprising: a gnardllhaving one end pivotally supported" by the cover and having the free end thereof extended beyond: one end; of the opening in. said cover at the printing position. and urged? toward the peripheral surface of theprinting cylinder, at second guard having one end pivotally supported by the cover and hav-' ing the 'free. end; thereof extending beyond the opposite end: of the opening in. said cover and urged toward the peripheral surface of the printing cylinder and cam elements engageable with said guardsand movable with the cylinder to ef-' fect withdrawal of the extended porti'onsof the guards from the path of the printing die as the printing die approaches the printing position duringia printing cycle of operation.

4. The combination. with a rotary postage printing cylinder having a postage printing die thereon and: including a cover. having an opening at. the. printing position "but otherwise arranged tc1- concealthe printing die when not in a printing position; of meansto prevent the taking of more than one. legitimate impression at the printing position during each; rotationof the printing cylinder and comprising a guard having one end pivotally supported by the cover an'd hav ing. the free end thereof spring urged toward the peripheral surface of: the printing cylinderand extending. beyond one: end. of the opening in said cover at the printing. position'and in the path of the printing. die; a second guard having one. end pivotally supported by the cover and having the free end thereof spring urged toward the-peripheral surface of the printing; cylinder and extend.- ing beyond the. opposite end; of the opening. in said cover and in the path. of the printing die, a cam engaging the. free ends of said? guards and movable with. the cylinder to effect. initial: withdrawal: of. the extended. portions of the guards, and a second. cam. engageable. with: the guards to effect further withdrawal of the ex tended ends thereof from. path of; the print= ing die as the printing die approaches the printing position.

5. The combination with a rotary postage printing cylinder having a postage printing die thereon and including a cover having an opening at the printing position but otherwise arranged to conceal the printing die when not in a printing position; of means to prevent the taking of more than one legitimate impression at the printing position during each rotation of the printing cylinder and comprising a guard having one end pivotally supported by the cover and having the free end thereof extending beyond one end of the opening in said cover at the printing position and in the path of the printing die, a second guard having one end pivotally supported by the cover and having the free end thereof extending beyond the opposite end of the opening in said cover and in the path of the printing die, each of said guards having their extended portions normally urged toward the peripheral surface of the printing cylinder, a cam engaging the free ends of said guards and movable with the cylinder to effect initial withdrawal of the extended portions of the guards from the path of the printing die as the printing die approaches the printing position during a printing cycle of operation, each of said guards including cam engaging edge portions, and a second cam movable with the printing cylinder and engageable with said latter edge portions to effect control of the position of each guard after the first named cam moves beyond a contact relation with the free ends of the guards.

WALTER J HANSON. ALVA G. RUSSELL.

REFERENCES CITED 15 The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 20 1,308,628 Graham July 1, 1919 1,709,897 Clark Apr. 23, 1929 1,715,451 Eller June 4, 1929 2,152,204! Moore Mar. 28, 1939 

